• Researchers discover how to erase memory
    107 replies, posted
[b](PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers working with mice have discovered that by removing a protein from the region of the brain responsible for recalling fear, they can permanently delete traumatic memories. Their report on a molecular means of erasing fear memories in rodents appears this week in Science Express.[/b] “When a traumatic event occurs, it creates a fearful memory that can last a lifetime and have a debilitating effect on a person’s life,” says Richard L. Huganir, Ph.D., professor and director of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. “Our finding describing these molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in that process raises the possibility of manipulating those mechanisms with drugs to enhance behavioral therapy for such conditions as post-traumatic stress disorder.” Behavioral therapy built around “extinction training” in animal models has proven helpful in easing the depth of the emotional response to traumatic memories, but not in completely removing the memory itself, making relapse common. Huganir and postdoctoral fellow Roger Clem focused on the nerve circuits in the amygdala, the part of the brain known to underly so-called fear conditioning in people and animals. Using sound to cue fear in mice, they observed that certain cells in the amygdala conducted more current after the mouse was exposed to a loud, sudden tone. In hopes of understanding the molecular underpinnings of fear memory formation, the team further examined the proteins in the nerve cells of the amygdala before and after exposure to the loud tone. They found temporary increases in the amount of particular proteins — the calcium-permeable AMPARs — within a few hours of fear conditioning that peaked at 24 hours and disappeared 48 hours later. Because these particular proteins are uniquely unstable and can be removed from nerve cells, the scientists proposed that they might permanently remove fear by combining behavior therapy and protein removal and provide a window of opportunity for treatment. “The idea was to remove these proteins and weaken the connections in the brain created by the trauma, thereby erasing the memory itself,” says Huganir. In further experiments, they found that removal of these proteins depends on the chemical modification of the GluA1 protein. Mice lacking this chemical modification of GluA1 recovered fear memories induced by loud tones, whereas littermates that still had normal GluA1 protein did not recover the same fear memories. Huganir suggests that drugs designed to control and enhance the removal of calcium-permeable AMPARs may be used to improve memory erasure. “This may sound like science fiction, the ability to selectively erase memories,” says Huganir. “But this may one day be applicable for the treatment of debilitating fearful memories in people, such as post-traumatic stress syndrome associated with war, rape or other traumatic events.” This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. [url=http://www.physorg.com/news/2010-11-erase-memory.html]Source[/url] [url=http://www.sciencemag.org/sciencexpress/recent.dtl]More Information[/url]
Oh shit also: :science:
Suddenly life for millions of people just became so much better.
I just hope that this technology doesn't fall in the wrong hands. It probably will though.
government mind control...one step closer :tinfoil:
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Give it to me. Seriously.
You know, this really reminds me of something and yet I somehow just can't place it... [img]http://feminema.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/eternal1.jpg[/img]
What if it goes wrong and you forget everything?
Rapists rejoice.
I hope you can get a [i]Total Recall[/i] if you want your memories back.
They better not go around flashy-thinging people.
[QUOTE=Simples;25791807]What if it goes wrong and you forget everything?[/QUOTE] Then you get the whole Bourne movie series going again and the US Government is fucked.
[img]http://www.toplessrobot.com/MenInBlack1.jpg[/img]
its kinda scary that they can do that now
I dont like THIS scientific path.
Neat.
Not good.
No. Remove fear entirely.
I want them to erase my childhood. Oh wait, I had none. :smith:
Would a bit of modification erase awesome memories as well? I'd like to play the Legend of Zelda series all over again.
[QUOTE=bravehat;25791652]Suddenly life for millions of people just became so much better.[/QUOTE] Oh, really now?
:tinfoil: I knew it!
[QUOTE=Bat-shit;25792127]Oh, really now?[/QUOTE] Yeah, imagine all the rape victims that will now be able to get rid of those memories and be able to trust people again. Or is that a bad thing for some reason?
[QUOTE=SuPeR_MaN;25791978]No. Remove fear entirely.[/QUOTE] No, fear keeps you alive.
[QUOTE=bravehat;25792241]Yeah, imagine all the rape victims that will now be able to get rid of those memories and be able to trust people again. Or is that a bad thing for some reason?[/QUOTE] People care less about rapists.
finally I can forget about my shitty life and everything, literally.
[QUOTE=FHamster;25792287]People care less about rapists.[/QUOTE] Or more likely, the victim reports it, the police handle it, the victim testifies and if evidence fits the guy gets put into prison then both the rapist and victim have the memory wiped, victim lives a happy life and the rapist doesn't remember the victim to get revenge on them. Or you could just lock up the rapist for life with one meal a day and cockroaches, whichever is more fun I guess v:v:v
[QUOTE=bravehat;25792241]Yeah, imagine all the rape victims that will now be able to get rid of those memories and be able to trust people again. Or is that a bad thing for some reason?[/QUOTE] Nah it's just funny how you said suddenly millions of people are happier or better since it takes a bit longer than that to do this procedure to millions of people. How often do they implement these things practically anyway? Like the nanobot cancer treatment or whatever, are millions of people already cured of their cancer?
Yes. I want them to erase my memory of Animal House so I can watch it again and it'll be funny again.
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